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Million
pound revamp at animal charity
reduces stress in dogs
Today sees the official re-opening of The Blue Cross animal
centre in Bromsgrove in Worcestershire which boasts vastly improved
living conditions for unwanted dogs awaiting new homes.
Following a long-awaited million pound refurbishment the centre,
in Wildmoor Lane in Catshill, now has modern, bright kennels,
covered exercise runs, improved security, more staff and even
an enviromentally-friendly policy.
Centre manager Neil Edwards said that the new kennels would
provide the best enviroment for the physical health and mental
wellbeing of the dogs.
He said: “As soon as some of the dogs were moved into the
first kennel block last year the staff noticed a dramatic improvement
in their behaviour. Their stress levels went down considerably
as they didn’t feel the need to bark all day, pace up and
down their kennels and chew their blankets”.
And he added: “We have also been rehoming dogs more quickly
than in the previous kennels which is undoubtedly due to the
fact that they are presented in better conditions and are less
stressed.”
Nowadays visitors to the centre are shown around a modern, bright
centre which is a far cry from the old dilapidated kennels which
used to house the dogs. Previously the inside kennels were dark,
cold and noisy. The outside exercise runs were open to the elements
and generally in a run-down state.
Nowadays the dogs have kennels with windows which are bright
and easy for the dogs to see out of, calming music is piped
to their kennels and they can be exercised in covered exercise
runs even when the weather is bad.
But none of this would have been possible without the kind donations
from Blue Cross supporters which raised £1.3 million,
half a million of which was raised through locak appeal.
The first kennel block was opened last year and the centre was
finally completed in March 2003.
In addition to the two kennal blocks, holding 40 dogs, and covered
exercise runs, the centre now has three holding pens, a veterinary
room, a purpose built grooming room, a large reception area
where videos of animals needing new homes is shown and an animal
admissions room, where people giving up animals can talk in
private. The site is also enviromentally-friendly capturing
its own rainwater to clean the kennels.
Neil Edwards said: “We have come a long way since The Blue
Cross set up this centre in Bromsgrove in 1986. Thanks to the
kind donations from Blue Cross supporters we have a modern centre
providing staff, the public and most importantly the dogs with
the best possible facilities available to them”.
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